After beating this game for the first time, can I recommend it.
HOLY HELL YES.
The Story is amazing. Though so far I only saw one ending (the hardest one to get) which was
...well interesting. (I don't want to spoiler so I keep the name out of it)
On my path of glory I killed major 50 Bosses, a lot of them optional, and 8 Mini-Bosses.
On the story: If you expect something nice and friendly like in Persona, forget it.
This game is dark and gritty to the core. It has 6 possible endings which can be influnenced by
how you answer specific questions in the game. Well at least 5 of them. The 6th one requires you to basically beat every boss and solve an optional dungeon that will test your abilities to the maximum.
Gamplay: I love the press turn system. For people who don't know it. If you or the enemy hit a weakness or land a crit you (or them) get an extra turn. For every missed, Blocked, Absorbed or repelled attack you (or them) loose an additional turn. (on top of the turn you just used) It makes the game certainly harder than most modern JRPG's but is also very rewarding and enganging.
Also to draw the line between Persona and mainline SMT its much more exploration and dungeon crawling
focused. You barely interact with other humans just occasionally souls or demons standing around.
The recruit system might be a little random but I never had major problems recruiting most demons to my party. The fusion system is magnificent but also much more unforgiving and expensive compared to Persona.
Music: A dark rock/industrial soundtrack (with occasionally some lighthearted) creates a fitting atmosphere.
Note: The soundtrack in the game is still heavily compressed but there are mods changing that.
But even in compressed form (I listened to both so I have a reference) the soundtrack still slaps hard.
The demon and level design, while limited, is still interesting.
The atmosphere is constantly dreadful because you need to reach save points and aside from a few rooms and areas its not safe anywhere. Wuick travel between save points is nice.
The game can be pretty grindy (at least without using center of conception and where the demi-fiend was born dlc's) and frustrating for new players. (I recommend using at least a guide for enemy weaknesses)
Note: The time steams shows is not the actual time I beat the game in. I took a little over 50 hours because the game goes on full pause when you alt-tab. And I talked a lot on discord while playing.
Summary: If you like pokemon-esque gameplay with more depth and interesting demon design I would give this a shot. The story keeps one going and makes you want to see it through to the end.
I recommend against the Merciful difficult except you only want to enjoy the story because it makes the game extreme easy. (I played on normal and maybe will replay it on hard at some point)
Verdict: 8.5/10
HOLY HELL YES.
The Story is amazing. Though so far I only saw one ending (the hardest one to get) which was
...well interesting. (I don't want to spoiler so I keep the name out of it)
On my path of glory I killed major 50 Bosses, a lot of them optional, and 8 Mini-Bosses.
On the story: If you expect something nice and friendly like in Persona, forget it.
This game is dark and gritty to the core. It has 6 possible endings which can be influnenced by
how you answer specific questions in the game. Well at least 5 of them. The 6th one requires you to basically beat every boss and solve an optional dungeon that will test your abilities to the maximum.
Gamplay: I love the press turn system. For people who don't know it. If you or the enemy hit a weakness or land a crit you (or them) get an extra turn. For every missed, Blocked, Absorbed or repelled attack you (or them) loose an additional turn. (on top of the turn you just used) It makes the game certainly harder than most modern JRPG's but is also very rewarding and enganging.
Also to draw the line between Persona and mainline SMT its much more exploration and dungeon crawling
focused. You barely interact with other humans just occasionally souls or demons standing around.
The recruit system might be a little random but I never had major problems recruiting most demons to my party. The fusion system is magnificent but also much more unforgiving and expensive compared to Persona.
Music: A dark rock/industrial soundtrack (with occasionally some lighthearted) creates a fitting atmosphere.
Note: The soundtrack in the game is still heavily compressed but there are mods changing that.
But even in compressed form (I listened to both so I have a reference) the soundtrack still slaps hard.
The demon and level design, while limited, is still interesting.
The atmosphere is constantly dreadful because you need to reach save points and aside from a few rooms and areas its not safe anywhere. Wuick travel between save points is nice.
The game can be pretty grindy (at least without using center of conception and where the demi-fiend was born dlc's) and frustrating for new players. (I recommend using at least a guide for enemy weaknesses)
Note: The time steams shows is not the actual time I beat the game in. I took a little over 50 hours because the game goes on full pause when you alt-tab. And I talked a lot on discord while playing.
Summary: If you like pokemon-esque gameplay with more depth and interesting demon design I would give this a shot. The story keeps one going and makes you want to see it through to the end.
I recommend against the Merciful difficult except you only want to enjoy the story because it makes the game extreme easy. (I played on normal and maybe will replay it on hard at some point)
Verdict: 8.5/10